Sunday, December 13, 2009

Mind is the expression of brain. Whatever the brain perceives, process, and produce are expressed as mind. We are usually aware of very limited perceptions, processing, and produce of brain. The awareness is also a part of mind or perception by the brain. On the other hand awareness is the perception of brain about its own functions. Probably, at deeper level of awareness, possibly at unconscious and collective unconscious level the above statement may not be valid, but now it cannot be discussed here. The brain is capable of being aware of its complete function – from its peripheral to the deepest layer. Probably that awareness is the intelligence. The brain’s functions include creation, maintenance, and destruction. Being aware of the complete functioning of brain may be the height of ecstasy.

With respect to the discussion in this blog, the brain’s functions can be divided into three functional domains. The first functional domain is the control center of our body, where the continuous function of creation maintenance and destruction happens without any interval. It any way takes place perfectly as long as the conditions for its functions are maintained. The second domain is the perceptions beyond the limit of our body which perceives the happening around us and it is required for our living. Probably, there is one more domain which is the psychic entity within us, which is basically a stray function of brain and illusionary in nature. Unfortunately our conscious part of mind is almost completely occupied by this third domain, which is completely illusionary.

The activities of first functional domain are real, which is actually happening but we are almost unaware of it. The second functional domain is also real, due to which we are living our life on day to day basis. And third one is completely illusionary and with which we are fully occupied. This domain process the stray information belongs to second domain and may be little bit from fist domain, which then becomes our psychic entity. As our conscious mind is full of illusionary and it is functioning without any space or interval, we are unable to be aware of the other two domains of functioning of brain.

The problem with the mind or brain is that the conscious part of mind is completely occupied by unreal and illusionary things, for which there is no possibility of any kind of perception. The mind cannot perceive the illusionary images – it can only hallucinate at this level, but due to our way of life the conscious part of mind is completely with illusion or unperceivable. Whatever little perceptions we have in our life are perceived during the interval when illusions are set aside by the mind/brain. For our living, we need to have certain minimum level of perception. Hence the mind creates space for such perceptions when and where required. The success or achievements we think that we have in our life entirely depend on our brain’s capability to create space to perceive the happenings around us. And many of us yet have reluctance to give credit for our achievements to the capability of our brain. We give the credit for our success and achievements to some unknown entities or other planets and stars in the space, on the name of belief.

As mind or brain is mainly occupied with unperceivable images at conscious level, it slowly becomes dull and perception is fading away from us. As the perception fade away from us, we have to hang on with only illusions and need not say about the results. The brain or mind has to be very active and sensitive for perception at higher levels to take place. On an active and sensitive mind, illusions will not surface as it in a dull mind.

How do we know the mind or brain is occupied with unperceivable images? How do we know what we have in our conscious part of our mind is illusionary in nature? It is our real problem. We are used for this way of living and this way of thinking. It is not just us, generations after generation we are having this problem. It is hereditary. It may not be easy to perceive that what we have in our conscious mind is unperceivable. Whatever we have in our conscious mind can only been thought about- this is again multiplying the images. Here the problem is to understand and differentiate between what is thought and what is perception.

One of the reasons for some people failing in the path of spirituality is exactly the above problem. Unable to understand and differentiate between what is thought and what is perception and enter into a state of hallucination. And this problem arises due to some beliefs which they have and never tried/try to transcend, and hence anchored in those beliefs. And probably during last few hundred years the path of knowledge has taken back seat in almost all the cultures. As the path of knowledge is in back seat, the path of devotion has slowly becomes path of demand, which has no relevance to spirituality. For the majority of population in the current generation, spirituality means asking and demanding something and in return performing some rituals at most. If we fail to look beyond the path of demand, probably the whole of spirituality may be wiped out from the major part of humanity. If it happens, the knowledge repository in the form of scriptures may become nothing for a logical mind and entertainment for the illusionary mind. This scenario is inevitable.

If we can observe our mind for some time, we can get an idea about its current way of functioning. The mind is either occupied with thoughts or it is in asleep, without any perception what so ever. Suddenly it wakes up, but again just with some thoughts. It is never be active and without any thoughts - that is the space required in the mind. It may be active but without thoughts, only when we are doing any intensive work and whatever little bit of perception apart from the perception of that intensive activity is happening along with this activity. Whatever little space we have within mind is created during the time of such intensive activity, when thought may not be required for that activity, yet intensively involved in that activity. Will it possible to be without any outward activity, yet active within mind? This is the condition required for perception – the created space within our mind. All the rituals, symbols, religions, Vedas, Upanishads, etc are preparing the mind for such a state. Are we performing the rituals and following the symbols with this awareness. If not, why are we performing rituals? Why are we following symbols?

How to allow the space within mind? It is possible only by understanding what ‘space in mind’ is and what is ‘not allowing the space within mind’. Once we understand the element which takes away whatever little space available in mind, the very understanding starts providing the space for mind and hence allowing the brain to function. If we are willing the ecstasy of perceiving the complete function of our brain is not far away from us! This possibility is available for every one of us. Not only for just a selected, handful of beings!